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Beverly, a Santa Paula native, is shown at the keyboard of the First Christian Church. She’s spent much of her life playing for services, weddings and funerals at several churches a musical career that started when she was a teenager. |
First Christian Church organist Beverly Couch retires
January 20, 2016
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
First Christian Church is one of the oldest, if not the oldest wooden churches in Ventura County, completed on the corner of Railroad Avenue and 9th Street in 1900. Designed in the Carpenter Gothic style, the church — Ventura County Historical Landmark #81 — has served generations of worshippers since it opened 115 years ago.
And for more than a quarter of that time Beverly “Bev” Couch has filled the First Christian Church with music.
Beverly finally retired from the keyboard after playing organ at First Christian Church for almost 30 years.
“What a great turn out for Bev,” said Karen Portluck at the reception held in the musician’s honor following Sunday’s service.
Portluck noted that not only was Beverly the master of the church’s organ but also the church’s “unofficial historian” who has carefully documented First Christian Church, its members and activities.
Beverly played at services whether regular Sunday, funerals, weddings or special observances for almost three decades, for various ministers, “And” noted Portluck, “she stuck with us through thick and thin, good and bad…”
Beverly was serenaded, presented with flowers, gift cards and accolades during the reception honoring her long devotion to First Christian Church.
A native Santa Paulan, Beverly started taking piano lessons when she was 7 years old.
“My first piano teacher was the pianist of the First Baptist Church,” that Beverly’s family belonged to.
“How I happened to take organ lessons is that a good friend of my family and his wife purchased an organ for the church with the stipulation that I would learn how to play and practice there…”
She started organ lessons with the late Byron King at about 13 years old.
Soon Beverly was playing at various churches and for a multitude of functions.
“I played at the Baptist Church in high school and until my early 20s…I would fill in when the organist went on vacation,” while the rest of the time Beverly played the piano for the church.
She went to play for another church where she spent 15 years at the keyboard then moved to the Universalist Unitarian Church for five years.
And, “During the same time I played three years for a midweek service of the Church of Christian Science of Ventura.”
Initially, Beverly was asked to play for First Christian Church services until an organist could be hired: “A woman I knew there asked if I was playing anywhere and I told her no but I would just fill in. I started the first Sunday in January 1987,” and “Officially I ended at the end of December…although I played last Sunday.”
“Music is incredibly important to the service, to life!” said Pastor Jenny Crosswhite of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) who worked with Beverly on the songs.
“I think it’s incredible that Bev came as an interim and stayed for 29 years, there almost every single Sunday.”
But noted Crosswhite, it goes beyond music: “She’s just a gem of a person, everyone that has ever met Bev even once says she’s such a sweet lady. Beyond the beautiful music that she offered she’s added much to the congregation just by her presence…”
Beverly’s presence has been counted on over the years at various companies she’s worked for ranging from Southern California Edison, Gould Ford and 23 years with Santa Paula Water Works.
When the company was purchased by the city Beverly retired, but was soon asked to join Farmers Irrigation where she worked part-time for another 15 years.
She never left Santa Paula: “I was born here, never lived anywhere else. Sometimes, when I tell people that they can’t believe I never lived anywhere else,” and never wanted to.
When asked how many songs she knows, Beverly said, “Gosh, I have no idea!” but she knew what her favorite is.
“I’ll say my favorite is ‘How Great Thou Art’ although there are others near the top of my list with it…
“I really have no idea how many hymns I know, I’ve played for churches, wedding, funeral services and for the mortuary,” hundreds, probably thousands of songs for all sorts of gatherings.
Beverly will keep busy in retirement, “Trying to catch up on family history, putting family pictures in albums. Since 1973 I’ve also been the organist for the Order of the Eastern Star and I’ll continue to play for them…for the time being anyway.”
Beverly’s two sons Chuck Lewis and Craig Lewis (daughter Cheryl passed in December 2014) also live in Santa Paula with their families.
“I have seven grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren,” with the potential for more in the future.
“I was an only child,” said Betty, “so I did pretty good!”
